3 essential steps to getting out of a sales slump

Remind yourself of what you used to know

Often times when we’re in a sales slump it’s because we aren’t focusing on the fundamentals. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Even the best salespeople fall into a slump sometimes. The trajectory to greatness is never a straight line. Instead, people falter and fall all along their way to achieving their higher insurance sales goals.

For salespeople, whether they are a business owner or part of a larger organization, entering a sales slump is one of the worst professional situations imaginable. Egos get bruised, bank accounts are damaged, confidence is shaken and home life can become strained.

Well, what if I told you that you could mitigate all of these issues? You’ll always enter into a sales slump at one time or another, but there are three specific ways to getting out of your slump fast.

Follow these steps and you’ll be back on your feet and selling in no time!

1. Get back to the basics

It may sound simple but it’s truer than you’d like to believe. Often times when we’re in a sales slump it’s because we aren’t focusing on the fundamentals. What caused you to become a successful salesperson in the first place? Repeating those routines and tasks can help you get back on your feet.

You see, often times a routine, although effective, gets so monotonous that you’ll eventually abandon it even though it’s resulting in success. When this happens you’re liable to enter into a slump. And then you’ll lament to yourself about your lack of success even though the key is sometimes to keep doing what you’ve always done.

So, rather than trying to beat yourself up about your slump, take a step back and identify the key fundamentals that caused you to be successful in the first place. Then get back to doing them and you’ll be back into the swing of things.

As Samuel Johnson once said, “Often times successful people need to be reminded as opposed to instructed.”

2. Listen to your customers

Feedback is the linchpin to becoming a better salesperson -not to mention a better person in general. However, when we enter into a sales slump we’re liable to reject feedback or just miss it completely.

Instead, be on a quest for real feedback from your clients and prospective clients. Find out where you can improve, and what you need to work on. But also, identify what your clients love most as well. Being reminded of the value you bring, and how much it benefits your clients, can increase your personal enthusiasm and confidence in selling. Often times your clients may highlight key things they love most about your company, that you’ve gotten away from talking about with new prospective clients.

A great way to get out of a sales slump is through third-party advice. (Photo: iStock)

3. Seek third-party advice

Other than customer feedback, another great way to get out of a sales slump is through third-party advice. While your customers can tell you how you’re benefiting them and where you can better your services, a third party can give you insights from a thousand-foot view.

Third-party people, or those who aren’t in your business day to day, can approach your situation with new and fresh eyes. They can use their own unique experiences and insights to point out potentially obvious areas for improvement.

It’s a situation of being too close to the problem. Think about a painting on your wall. Since you live in your home, you see the painting every day, and before long it becomes almost invisible to you. You rarely notice it. But, invite someone over for the first time and they’ll notice the painting right away.

Well, just like with the painting, a third-party person or organization can help you spot the obvious. They can look at your deficiencies as well as strengths and give you feedback that can get you out of your sales slump.

The idea here is to speak with people you trust, who will give you real authentic feedback. Talk to professionals, friends, even business coaches. Any of these people will give you that unique angle to help pull you out of your slump.

No slump is forever

The bottom line is that no slump is forever. It might seem bleak now, but if you focus on maximizing the above three, you’ll slowly climb out of your hole.